|
|
Here's a report from
Bob who covered the Dudley Grand Prix Track Meeting on 13th/14th
August 2005.
I have added a few of Bob's FinishLynx images to
give it a bit of colour.
Here's some good sprinting.
We have some pretty good judges, but I
would defy any of them to place all three
correctly without the use of a camera. |
It's something
of an unwritten rule that for a long time
now we have been able to 'do' photofinish
at our own club's event at no charge, if
the kit is not required at other races.
Well, this year the Halesowen found out
about this and asked if I wanted to join
that club as my old one had folded. I was
at one time a 2nd claim member (so I could
ride the track f.o.c.) so I said 'yes'.
The real reason was that they wanted the
photofinish equipment at the Dudley GP,
the club's big track meeting!
Margaret would be at work and there were
no road events to be covered, so there
shouldn't be a problem. As I had picked
up the timing kit about three or four weeks
beforehand I asked if they would like the
timing as well (in for a pound etc.) just
to do the 200m. I thought that it would
be a 'test' for me and the kit. |
The week before
the word came that our new tripods had come,
so after I had finished work at 1pm on the
Friday it was in the van and up to HS for
the tripod.
This is a 4 hour trip on a good
day then back home for tea, before down
to Halesowen to put down the tape switches
as it was said that it would rain over
the weekend. |
Its good to see the local club out in force in the kids race. |
| I had to wait till the track
league had finished before I could start,
that was 9.40 and the lights went out at
10pm! (and then home to bed). [We've got
new floodlights now for times like this -
John]. |
One of the senior devil sprints. The guy on the back gave up! It was a tight bunch.
|
Saturday. I
was only the second to arrive at the track.
The start was due for 11am, but I had the
rest of the kit to put out so it was a
7am start for me! I left the van on the
outside of the track and began the set
up.
The camera was now easy with having
the tripod, but the timing was a case of
winding out the cables etc., and plugging
in all the leads...and the power kept going
off. I think it was a leak to earth that
kept tripping it. When the earth was disconnected
we were off, but the printer on the timing
computer would not work!
|
| The first event
was the kid's time trial over 500m, that
left me free just to watch. Next was the
time trial round of the sprint. This was
it, let's see how good the hand timekeepers
are......but no, it had started to rain...half
an hour in to the meeting. The start was
put off again and again and then the Chief
Judge called it off at 3pm!, so it was
pack it all away till Sunday. |
Back
at home it was time to dry the kit out
then take the printer apart to fix it.
A very small cog which drove the paper
though the head had fallen off.
Super glue
got it working again!
It was another early start on Sunday again
to get the kit set up again, the timing
went well, with only one failure. One start
was triggered well before the rider got
to the line. Don't know why, but at least
he got a hand time.
|
Junior Devil, look at the guy at the top looking for someone to come round him.
|
| The photo finish went
very well. I was well pleased with the
way FinishLynx worked, both in the sprints
and the devil. Even the commentator, Hugh
Porter was just looking over my shoulder
and calling the result, it was that quick!
There was one near miss, the wind picked
up at one point and was blowing the tent
on the finish line towards the tripod which
was leaning over on just one leg. I think
I got to it just in time!
It was a good, if not long weekend, I did
enjoy it and I was just able to get home
in time to get a pint in at the pub! |
|
|
|
